2020 Catena Zapata "White Stones - Adrianna Vineyard" Chardonnay Mendoza (Previously $130)
SKU #1646522
97 points
James Suckling
Lemon zest, pineapple, white pepper, cloves, jasmine, crushed stones and chalk on the nose. Medium-bodied, focused and phenolic. Very fine, mineral and tight with persistent energy and vivid acidity. Creamy, with salted-almond notes at the end. Drink from 2023.
(5/2022)
97 points
Vinous
The 2020 Chardonnay Adrianna Vineyard White Stones from Gualtallary, Uco Valley, was barrel-aged for 16 months. Greenish-yellow in the glass. The intense, layered nose presents bold aromas of green apple, pear, hints of linden blossom and ginger with touches of lemon and herbs. In the mouth, it’s concentrated, rooted in a lively, heightened freshness while maintaining the variety’s expansive flow, which also delivers salinity and long-lasting flavor. A thrilling white that defines this nook of the Uco Valley. (JH)
(8/2022)
96 points
Wine Advocate
I had the opportunity to taste two vintages (2020 and 2021) of the top whites side by side and could see the differences of the two years quite clearly, as the wines express the natural conditions of the year quite faithfully. The 2020 White Stones Chardonnay is riper than the other three wines; it's a very good wine, but it shows the warmer year with a rounder mouthfeel, faintly creamy, still a little closed in the nose, which slowly reveals yellow fruit and some spice. The palate is quite gentle, with 13% alcohol and very good balance. 7,500 bottles produced. (LG)
(11/2022)
95 points
Decanter
Catena Zapata was founded in 1902, with a focus on high altitude plantings in Mendoza. Its famed Adrianna vineyard sits above 1,450m, ensuring a quality crop with good acid retention as a result of the cool night-time temperatures. The wine is 100% Chardonnay from a small selection of vines on stony, free-draining soils with a topsoil of oval-shaped white stones. Fermented in French oak, the wine also goes through partial malolactic fermentation before ageing 12-16 months in seasoned French oak barrels with batonnage throughout. Amanda Barnes: Great purity and wet stone character. Vibrant acidity and great tension on the finish. Ben Gubbins MW: Fresh, light and vibrant with red apple skin, lemon, good intensity and tension. Dirceu Vianna Junior MW: Graceful and attractive with lovely aromas of citrus fruits, yellow plum, star fruit, fresh dough and hints of sweet spices. Refined, silky texture and beautiful underlining freshness. (AB)
(7/2022)
Jancis Robinson
In the Gualtallary sub-district of Tupungato. 4,500 ft in elevation. Hand-picked, pressed and cold settled at 6 °C. Fermented in French oak for 45–95 days at 16 °C. Partial malolactic. Aged 12–16 months in second-, third- and fourth-use French barrels. TA 7.79 g/l, pH 3.0.
Very much like the White Bones but a touch more lactic with a bit more noticeable oak. Lean but with a heavy-weave, silky texture. High, well-balanced acid. Less austere than White Bones. Both beautiful wines. (SCJ)
(5/2022)
K&L Notes
For over four generations, the Catena family has grown vines in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Mendoza, Argentina. In his pursuit to make wines that stand with the best in the world, Nicolás Catena identified the best lots and rows in the Catena family’s estate vineyards. White Stones Chardonnay comes from a select 27 rows within Block 1 of the Adrianna Vineyard. The name refers to the ground beneath the vines which is covered with gravel - oval white stones. The Adrianna vineyard is located at almost 5,000’ elevation in the Gualtallary sub-district of the Tupungato region. The rocky soil prevents deep root growth and allows for ideal drainage conditions. These are very poor soils where the vines are constantly in conditions of stress. The cool nights allow for very slow ripening, optimal acid retention, and low yields.
95 points Tim Atkin: "White Stones, as its name suggests, comes from alluvial soils with a significant percentage of clay. Fermented in older wood, with 20% malolactic, it’s the latest in a long line of impressive Chardonnay releases from Alejandro Vigil. Perfumed and subtly wooded, with a hint of gunflint, passion fruit and clementine flavours and a taut, mineral-etched finish."
